against Glasgow City. The champions
were surprisingly beaten 4-1 by Celtic
last season, their only league defeat, so
will be keen to reaffirm their standing at
home. Coached by former Aberdeen
striker Scott Booth they need to find
form swiftly ahead of a demanding
European Champions League quarter-
final against Wolfsburg.
Rangers open against promoted Hearts,
another club showing signs of greater
commitment. The other four clubs in the
Scottish Women’s Premier League are
Hibs, runners-up for the last five seasons
but in a state of flux after losing several
players and coach Grant Scott, fellow
Edinburgh club Spartans, Motherwell and
Forfar Framlington. Six of the eight have
new coaches, with Booth and Spartans’
Debbi McCulloch – the league’s one
female coach – the survivors.
The personnel changes are illustrative
of what would appear to be a game on
the cusp of major development. There
is speculation that a strategic review of
the women’s game will recommend the
men’s Scottish Premier Football League
takes over running the SWPL. Not
everyone will welcome this but greater
resources are needed. The 10-0 win over
Motherwell with which Glasgow City
sealed last season’s title was played on
a public park with facilities more akin to
Sunday League than a national league.
“Just won a league title in a public park
at a sports centre,” tweeted Scotland
international Hayley Lauder. “Not how
I envisaged the game in 2019.”
HEGERBERG OUT
FOR THE SEASON
Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg, the
Champions League record
goalscorer, will miss the rest
of the season after suffering
a ruptured anterior cruciate
ligament. The 24-year-old
Norwegian will at least be
back – unlike Tabea Kemme,
who has retired at 28 due to
a knee injury. The Arsenal
midfielder won Olympic gold
with Germany in 2016.VIRUS FORCES SWITCH
The coronavirus outbreak prompted
a switch in venue for the Asian 2020
Olympic third round qualifiers. Group^
B was originally set to take place in
Wuhan, the city where coronavirus
began, before being switched
to Nanjing and then moved
to Sydney.
China were forced to
travel without Wang
Shuang and Yao Wei
who were trapped in
Wuhan. On arrival the
team were quarantined
in their hotel, further
delaying the start of the
group which also includes
Thailand, Taiwan/Chinese Taipai and
Australia. Group A had been reduced
to hosts South Korea, Vietnam and
Myanmar after North Korea withdrew.MATILDAS FOLLOW KERR’S
PATH TO EUROPE
Several Australian internationals are
following Sam Kerr’s lead in moving
to the WSL.
Hayley Raso has joined Everton,
while Chloe Logarzo went to Bristol
City and Caitlin Foord signed
for Arsenal. All three had
previously combined
playing in America
and Australia.
Foord, who had
been on loan to
Sydney, was recently
traded from Portland
Thorns to Orlando,
although she did not make
a single appearance for the
Floridian club.
Meanwhile, teenage striker Mary
Fowler has reportedly left Adelaide
United for French side Montpellier.ALUKO TAKES EXECUTIVE ROLE
Eni Aluko announced her retirement
and has become women’s sporting
director at Aston Villa, in her home city
of Birmingham. Second-tier Villa are
favourites for promotion to the WSL.
Now 32, Aluko won 102 caps and
scored 33 goals for England. She
moved to Italy in 2018 and left
Juventus in November.Old Firm...Rangers
(in blue) and CelticInjured...Ada
HegerbergOn the move...
Caitlin Foord (left)Trapped...
Wang ShuangNew role...
Eni Aluko